Baron Feller was pleased with Charlot Mecklenburg’s demeanor and decided not to make things difficult for him. Standing atop the city walls, he declared, “Mr. Charlot Mecklenburg, for your distinguished service to the Empire, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Level 32, Grade 2 Assistant Clerk. By special decree of His Majesty the Emperor, you are granted the privilege of forming a private knightly order of no more than five members, valid until the moment of your passing.”
Charlot smiled faintly, performed the imperial salute, and accepted the document from Baron Feller. He was indifferent to yet another leap in his career, as he knew his promotions would proceed smoothly as long as no one obstructed him. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the privilege of forming a private knightly order—a significant honor he had not anticipated.
In the Empire, only those ranked Level 24 and above were eligible to maintain private knightly orders. These orders, unlike the formal retinues maintained by major nobles, were privately funded auxiliaries paid by the Empire for meritorious individuals.
As a Level 32, Grade 2 Assistant Clerk, Charlot was not entitled to a private knightly order. The privilege required a special decree from His Majesty to grant such an exceptional honor.
Upon reaching Level 24, also known as the Unreachable Class, salaries were capped. No matter how high one’s promotions thereafter, wages would remain unchanged.
This salary cap was officially presented as a hallmark of "integrity," symbolizing that high-ranking officials shared the same income as ordinary civil servants. In truth, Level 24 positions were tied to alternative means of income. For instance, the wages of every knight in a private knightly order were equal to their commander’s salary but were disbursed directly to the commander, who could retain a significant portion while issuing only a small allowance to the knights.
In essence, this system functioned as a disguised increase in income.
Charlot's first thought was of the three Clever Cat cubs he had been raising. It seemed an appropriate time to grant them knightly titles.
After all, how much could raising cats cost? Supporting fully grown individuals, even at the Empire’s minimum wage, would cost dozens of centimes.
Baron Feller, satisfied with Charlot's compliance, added, “His Majesty also instructed me to inform you that it’s time for you to head to the frontlines. You must not linger at Silver Dove Castle any longer. This place is now under my charge.”
This comment revealed the baron’s private intentions. Wishing to consolidate his control over Silver Dove Castle, he had no desire for a knightly order to remain underfoot.
Charlot did not hesitate and replied immediately, “I’ll depart at once!”
Belisa had been urging him for days, and Charlot himself had no wish to set up an eligible young virgin for the High Priest Auguslatin. Leaving this place of contention as quickly as possible was the wisest course of action.
Baron Feller, pleased with Charlot’s tact, said warmly, “Since Mr. Charlot Mecklenburg is so eager to move to the frontlines, I won’t hold you back.”
“The Empress has also heard of your reputation and has granted you an estate. Here are the deeds.”
In the Fars Empire, it was customary for the Central Government Office to issue promotions, for the Emperor to bestow honors, and for the Empress to provide material rewards. Such a system was standard practice throughout the Empire.
Had Charlot displayed any lack of tact, Baron Feller would not have hesitated to confiscate his estate. As for any repercussions with the Empress…
What a joke—the Empress was his elder sister.
Charlot agreed to leave Silver Dove Castle immediately, and the baron finally relaxed.
True to his word, Charlot promptly ordered the deployment of the West Wind Knight Order and the local militia of Silver Dove Castle, taking them all away without so much as packing additional supplies. Most of the movable goods had long since been sent to Machubi Fortress, sparing Charlot the need to flaunt his actions in front of the baron.
After sending Charlot off, Baron Feller eagerly rubbed his hands together and let out an excited yell as he rushed into the castle to inspect the inheritance left by his predecessor, Baron Feller.
Though he had heard rumors that Silver Dove Castle had already been looted, such thefts could only target portable wealth. Could anyone possibly carry away shops or lands? Every great noble was a substantial landowner and the principal real estate holder in their region. With expenditures far exceeding those of ordinary nobles, Baron Feller hoped to use this opportunity to alleviate some of his own financial burdens.
Even nobles could exhaust their wealth. Many carried massive debts.
Dart, the housekeeper, clutched a ledger, nervously wiping his sweat as he led a group of servants to greet the baron upon his arrival at the castle.
The baron’s first question was direct: “How much cash is left in the castle?”
Trembling, Dart replied, “Not a single centime remains. It was all taken by that damned Lady Nancella.”
Baron Feller had anticipated this, though he was still disappointed. He sighed but moved on to his next inquiry. “What about magical artifacts, luxury goods, carriages, decorations…?”
Dart lowered his voice. “The entire castle now contains only its bare walls. Even the furniture has been stolen—taken entirely by that damned Lady Nancella.”
Baron Feller could not help but marvel as he toured the castle, confirming that every corner was indeed empty—even the candleholders were gone.
His final question was inevitable: “Bring me Baron Feller’s property deeds!”
Dart’s heart sank. He had been thrown into Machubi Fortress by Charlot multiple times and specially trained to deal with situations like this, yet his pulse quickened. Carefully, he said, “Here is the ledger.”
Dart was drenched in sweat as he spoke, his fear evident. His resignation to fate mixed with his resolve: “If the baron kills me in a fit of rage, so be it. Better this than ending up at Mr. Mecklenburg’s mercy, trapped between life and death.”
Baron Feller opened the ledger to find endless lines of mortgages, re-mortgages, loans, and more loans. The entire account screamed two words: no money.
Upon occupying Silver Dove Castle, Charlot had burned every document and replaced them with a forged set. Under his hand, Baron Feller’s farms, shops, houses, estates, and other assets had all been mortgaged.
Even Silver Dove Castle itself was pledged for tens of thousands of écus. Naturally, all the money raised had “benefited” that damned Lady Nancella and had been entirely taken.
Though Charlot was a mathematics teacher and not a professional accountant, his ledger work was dazzling enough to deceive any but the most seasoned experts.
The Old Continent had yet to develop professions like accounting, and financial knowledge remained rudimentary. Nobles relied on housekeepers for managing wealth. Most housekeepers could only handle addition and subtraction; multiplication and division were often beyond them. Charlot’s centuries-ahead knowledge left them utterly outclassed.
Baron Feller’s vision darkened as he realized that Baron Feller had left behind not only a financial wreck but also a mountain of debt.
In a fit of rage, Baron Feller hurled the ledger and cursed, “Baron Feller! What a useless man! How could he ruin Silver Dove Castle, one of the wealthiest cities, to this extent? The annual tax revenue alone should have funded his indulgent lifestyle. How could he still rack up such massive debts?”
“And that damned Lady Nancella! They’re thieves—true thieves…”
Meanwhile, Louis Simy and Ross Bard had not accompanied Baron Feller into the castle. Instead, they followed Charlot, feeling uneasy as they left Silver Dove Castle.